AMMAN Ñ Jordan has tightened restrictions on Palestinian entry amid
increasing unrest in the kingdom.
Palestinian sources said Hashemite authorities are preventing an
increasing number of Palestinians from crossing into the kingdom from the
West Bank. The sources said Jordan's Interior Ministry now demands a special
permit for entry.
Over the weekend, Jordan's King Abdullah criticized the rule of
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, Middle East Newsline reported. The king said Arafat has lost
control of militant groups.
"What I can say is that over the years I always thought Arafat was
capable of controlling Palestinian public sentiment and extremism," Abdullah
told the Belgian weekly Le Vif/L'Express. "I think that is no longer the
case today."
So far, the sources said, thousands of Jordanians have been turned back
from the Allenby Bridge, which separates the West Bank from the kingdom.
They said the new restrictions were detected earlier this year amid rising
pro-Palestinian unrest.
[Over the last week, Jordanian authorities arrested several Islamic
activists who were organize anti-U.S. demonstrations as well as a boycott of
American products. They included Ali Abu Sakr, head of the Committee Against
Normalization with Israel.]
Jordan has often warned that it will not serve as a refuge for
Palestinians fleeing a war with Israel. Seventy percent of the Jordan's
population is believed to be composed of Palestinians, many of whom crossed
the Jordan River in the 1948 and 1967 wars.
The sources said Jordan has also limited the number of Palestinians
arriving to study in the kingdom. Restrictions have also been reported for
Palestinians who seek medical services in Jordan.
In a related development, Jordan expects about 1,500 refugees from the
1991 Gulf war to be resettled in a third country. Most of the refugees are
Iraqi nationals.
